Forum Moderators: buckworks
This is maybe a little off-topic since it's an end-user, rather than website creator, problem. But it seems to be something worth clarifying, not least because it has a bearing on PayPal's reliability for conducting transactions sensibly...
I registered one Visa debit card with PayPal, which I then had to remove (end of valid period) and I then substituted another Visa debit card.
Trying to get PayPal to enable this card is proving a real uphill struggle. They seem to employ robots who quote standard text responses, rather than actually tell you anything sensible. They appear to be saying that you can only register ONE Visa card EVER, i.e. for the entire duration of your PayPal membership. This sounds most unlikely.
Of course, this being an Ebay-owned concern, there is no postal address...
Anyone any ideas or experience in actually getting PayPal to be genuinely helpful?
Thanks.
Yes, the standard replies often don't answer the question and can be extremely frustrating (unfortunately, a major customer service failing with many of the larger companies).
I did actually phone PayPal once and they sorted out a problem, so you could perhaps try that - there should be a number on their site.
PayPal did have a policy in place for fraud prevention that you could not use the same credit card on more than one PayPal account, so I wonder if PayPal knows it was used on an account previous, but hasn't realized it is the same account.
PayPal does have "help by phone" - when you are in your account, click on help. Under the left menu is a "Still having trouble? Contact Us" link - it will give you the details for email and phone support. I think a quick phone call is on order to explain the situation to them.
I'd found the phone number - fortunately I have a cheapo phone rate to call from the UK to the US.
I wrote "The situation is simple. I have removed one obsolete, no-longer in use Visa card, and have substituted another. Is it in fact PayPal's position that there is some 'Visa regulation' which means ALL your customers can only register ONE Visa card EVER, i.e. for the entire duration of their utilisation of the PayPal service, and that it is NOT possible to change that card?"
and just had this response from 'Michelle' at Paypal:
"I apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced in trying to get an answer to your request. Visa regulations do in fact limit us to sending a Member Number to only one Visa card per PayPal account. Since you have added the new Visa, we will not have the ability to process the card through our Membership Process. You may however, add a different credit card from the selection provided below." (i.e mastercard, discover, american express).
I reckon Visa don't want someone using two Visa cards simultaneously on the same account, not to illegitimise any replacement card. I've just written back:
"You may appreciate how difficult I found it to believe that when one sets up a PayPal account using a Visa card, that should the card need replacing for any reason whatsoever, unless that person has a card from an alternative provider, that is the end of the Paypal account...
I'm guessing that a significant number of people need to change their Visa-provided card before many years' of use. Isn't this an absurd inconvemience to your business?
Since I have no intention of setting up a Mastercard, Discover or American Express just so I can use PayPal, I presume my PayPal account is therefore in effect permanently terminated - before I have even used it once."
I gather from various websites around that phrases such as "flogging a dead horse" come to mind when dealing with PayPal customer service. I shall persist, including the phone call... More later, maybe...
